Create Complex Shiny Metal Surfaces with Nodes in LightWave 9.0

The ambient occlusion node is quite scale-dependent, so begin by applying it by itself to make sure you get the effect you want. In the Surface Editor, select the desired surface. Make sure that it has some kind of non-black color, then turn Diffuse to 0%. Ensure that the checkbox for nodal surfaces is on, then click Edit Nodes. In the popup box, select Shaders > Diffuse > Occlusion. The Occlusion node will appear. Connect the output of the Occlusion node into the surface’s Luminosity. Render a frame. You’ll see that the Occlusion node gives a nice representation of where the small details are. The darker areas are tighter, and these are the areas that are more prone to looking CG if the reflection is overly bright.

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